


Strange Sights

by jacqstoned



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Zutara OPM Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:54:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27160741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jacqstoned/pseuds/jacqstoned
Summary: Head Servant Ren had seen many strange things in his life, but he had never seen a Fire Lord sobbing into the shoulder of a Waterbending Master, the wall of flames surrounding the throne reduced to embers, the whole room echoing and empty.Head Servant Ren had also heard many, many strange things in his life, but none were as heartbreaking as the voice of the Fire Lord, the most powerful person in the Fire Nation, asking over and over again why his mother chose to forget.Written for Zutara OPM Week, Day 6. Inspired by the song You'll Be Safe Here by Rivermaya.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 186





	Strange Sights

**Author's Note:**

> This had been sitting in my graveyard of stories for so long that I decided to dust it off and rewrite it to fit the song I chose for Zutara OPM Week. I really recommend you listen to it (it’s in English despite being original Filipino music), it has a LOT of Zutara vibes. This fic doesn't follow the song too much, but it does echo its feels. Hope you guys like it!

_"And though the world would never understand_

_This unlikely union, and why it still stands_

_Someday we will be set free_

_Pray and believe_

_When the light disappears_

_And when this world's insincere_

_You'll be safe here_

_When nobody hears you scream_

_I'll scream with you_

_You'll be safe here"_

You’ll Be Safe Here, Rivermaya

* * *

Head Servant Ren had walked in on multiple strange sights during his time at the Palace.

There was the ostrich horse tied to the bedpost in one of the guest bedrooms during Fire Lord Azulon’s reign; there was the silent, cloaked visitor to General Iroh’s chambers back when he was still a prince; there was the Avatar, the last airbender, His Majesty’s most esteemed friend, hanging from the beams by the scruff of his tunic, mumbling sheepishly about his lemur stealing his egg custard.

Head Servant Ren had had many masters, but his current one’s choice of company had greatly thinned his now-white hair.

There was the Water Tribe boy, brandishing his club and flexing his muscles at the mirror once exclusively used by Fire Lord Ozai; there was the blind earthbender, propping her muddy feet on the polished wood of the dining table, not a care in the world; there was the Kyoshi Warrior, sprinting up walls like it was nobody’s business, later giving excuses that she needed to keep her skills up.

But nothing irked Head Servant Ren more than the trail of broken things that the Fire Lord and the Master Waterbender— now Water Tribe Ambassador— left in their wake.

If one were to ask the Royal Guards, they would say that the spars held by the two were a spectacle to behold, and most of them often left their posts to place bets whenever the Ambassador and the Fire Lord disagreed. Head Servant Ren supposed there was truth in their words; it truly was breathtaking, watching opposites collide like waves crashing against a cliff, and Head Servant Ren wouldn’t have had any problem with their fighting if they'd begun their matches in the proper arena.

What was a head servant to do, though, when His Majesty didn’t seem to care that he toppled his own late grandfather’s beloved vase, or when he dismissed the rip in the tapestry that depicted the construction of the Great Gates of Azulon? Head Servant Ren’s place was not to question, but to obey, and he had learned the hard way in the past that coming up against his sovereign was never a good decision.

And so it was that Head Servant Ren promised himself never to speak of his irritation, and to simply clean up after his master, as was his duty.

* * *

Head Servant Ren’s vow of silence was broken when he found the Lady Ursa’s portrait almost shredded to pieces.

Lady Ursa was a beloved figure in the court, and Head Servant Ren had cared for her deeply. He was most saddened when then-Fire Lord Ozai announced her untimely demise, but rumors swirling in the lower-ranking staff detailed the journey that Fire Lord Zuko was determined to take in order to find his mother. Head Servant Ren could find no reason why the portrait would be torn, aside from the shouting he’d heard earlier between the Water Tribe Ambassador and His Majesty.

He sought out Master Katara— of course he would not go directly before his sovereign to voice his concerns; it was simply out of the question for a mere servant to do so— and found her, of all places, in Lady Ursa’s garden.

Head Servant Ren tried not to seethe at the image— after all, Master Katara was a dear friend of the Fire Lord, and also an Ambassador who resided in the palace grounds for most of the year; she could come and go wherever she pleased, but to go where no one else had gone (besides Fire Lord Zuko) seemed to be an act of utmost disrespect.

However, Head Servant Ren was more than trained for his position— one did not stay long enough in the palace staff to become the head servant if they did not know what they were doing— and so, with light footsteps, he approached the Ambassador.

“My Lady,” he began, and the Waterbending Master immediately whipped around and almost emptied the shallow pool by her feet before she realized who had approached her.

“Oh, you surprised me, Ren!” she said, and Head Servant Ren tried to hide his surprise that she knew his name. “What is it, is there something wrong?”

Head Servant Ren cleared his throat and straightened his spine.

“It has come to my attention that the Lady Ursa’s portrait has been… torn down from its usual position,” he reported dryly, praying to Agni that the Ambassador wasn’t as obtuse as her brother. 

Master Katara’s eyes widened in alarm.

“Oh no,” she whispered, looking around the garden, before whirling on him with a sense of urgency. “Did you see Zuko on your way here?”

“No, my lady—”

“We have to find him!” she exclaimed, already making her way into the palace. Head Servant Ren struggled to keep pace with her, and after stumbling into a few dead ends and bursting into empty rooms, he felt the need to slow down the panicked Waterbending Master.

“Master Katara, if you would pardon my impertinence,” he began, “May I ask for the reason behind our frantic search?”

“It’s that messenger hawk that Aang sent!” the Ambassador replied, still scurrying through the corridors. “Something about Zuko’s mom—”

“The Lady Ursa has been found?” exclaimed Head Servant Ren, not even bothering to apologize for his imprudent behavior. The news shook him— while the rumors circulated, none of them actually believed the Avatar could track down the banished Princess.

“We don’t know for sure, and that’s probably what set Zuko off,” said the Ambassador, worrying her bottom lip as she hurriedly ran ahead of him. “Aang said there was a face-changing spirit involved—”

“That seems simply impossible—”

“And now Zuko’s probably convinced his mother doesn’t want to go back here,” finished the waterbender, turning sharply towards the throne room and marching in without much ado. Head Servant Ren hesitated by the threshold— it was utterly improper for a servant to see the Fire Lord behind his wall of flames without being called for, but if Master Katara’s worry was founded…

He decided to stay in the shadows, close to the hidden doors used by servants, should the situation warrant the staff's assistance.

What transpired in the throne room shook him.

Head Servant Ren had seen many strange things in his life, but he had never seen a Fire Lord sobbing into the shoulder of a Waterbending Master, the wall of flames reduced to embers, the whole room echoing and empty.

Head Servant Ren had also heard many, many strange things in his life, but none were as heartbreaking as the voice of the Fire Lord, the most powerful person in the Fire Nation, asking over and over again why his mother chose to _forget._

“We can still go to her, Zuko,” Master Katara was saying, but His Majesty shook his head adamantly, his face buried against the waterbender’s shoulder.

“I can’t… I can’t do that to her,” he gasped, clutching the back of her tunic like a lifeline, “She— she chose a new life, Katara— she chose a new life with a new family instead of looking for us— and Azula… Azula, she’s been getting better, but if she finds out— if she finds out what Mom did, it’ll just send her over the edge again, and I can’t— I can’t—”

“Shh, shh, just breathe, Zuko. It’ll be okay—”

“How can you _say_ that!” the Fire Lord exclaimed, almost shoving her away. “How would _you_ react if you found out your mother was still alive, but decided to just set you aside like you meant _nothing_ to her!”

“I would still want to meet her!” Master Katara countered, her voice rising. “Zuko, if I got the chance you have, I would do _whatever it takes_ to see her again! Whoever she is now, whatever life she chose— because she’s _still_ my mother!”

Unlike his earlier tone, Fire Lord Zuko now spoke with a small, broken voice.

“What if she never looked for me because she knew I’d end up like Ozai?”

“Zuko!” The Waterbending Master straightened up, towering over the hunched and kneeling Fire Lord— another surprising sight in Head Servant Ren’s long tenure. “What in the _freezing world_ would make you think that!”

“She must’ve known— she must’ve seen something in me that was so repulsive that she had to stay away—”

“Zuko, look at me,” she ordered— not the first time Head Servant Ren had heard her do so to the Fire Lord, but always a strange occurrence— and when the Fire Lord didn’t obey, she knelt once more and gently lifted his chin up and cradled his face in her hands. 

Head Servant Ren looked away, certain it was an intimate moment— it surely fit his expectations of the two, considering how they bickered like an old married couple, despite the Fire Lord being a bachelor and Master Katara being an unwed lady— but he heard the Water Tribe Ambassador murmur gentle words to the Fire Lord, to which he shook his head angrily.

“Look at all the horrible things I’ve done, Katara!” he yelled, jumping to his feet. “Look what I’ve done to Aang, to you and Sokka and Toph and Suki— all the villages I burnt, all the people I hurt—”

The Waterbending Master was suddenly on her feet, too.

“Look at all the _good_ things you’ve done, too, Zuko!” she exclaimed in equal fervor. “You ended the war that your ancestors started! You left _everything_ to join us when you didn’t have any guarantee that we’d accept you! You taught Aang firebending, you broke my father out of Boiling Rock—”

“I _betrayed_ you!”

“You almost _died_ for me!”

A ringing silence followed her words.

"That was different," muttered His Majesty, shattering the silence and averting his gaze.

"How is it different, Zuko? Do you think Ozai would lay down his life for someone?" Master Katara said, her words echoing in the empty chamber. "What you did just proves that you are _nothing_ like him."

Fire Lord Zuko didn't talk, nor did he protest when the waterbender took both of his hands in hers.

"You have a good heart, Zuko," she said earnestly. "I'm sure your mother will see that, no matter who she is now."

His Majesty remained silent, face shadowed, and it was clear to Head Servant Ren— and most probably the Ambassador— that he did not believe her words.

"Just promise me you'll think about visiting your mother, okay?" Master Katara continued. "Whatever you decide, we'll be here for you."

She had barely started walking away when the Fire Lord's voice echoed strongly through the chamber.

"I'll go."

Master Katara turned back, her face lit with a soft smile. She reached out slowly, and entwined her fingers with the Fire Lord's.

"Alright. Let's go tell Aang."

Head Servant Ren had seen many strange sights in his life, but he had never seen a Water Tribe Ambassador lead a Fire Lord eagerly through the Palace halls, her voice echoing as she called for her brother's messenger hawk.

He had also never seen Fire Lord Zuko smile the way he did as he trotted in her wake, hand still firmly clasped in hers.

* * *

Head Servant Ren had seen many things in his life, but he never thought he'd see the Lady Ursa back in the Palace.

She'd recognized him immediately, and smiled that beatific smile of hers as she gently ordered him to come up from his kowtow. 

Still dazed by the return of the lady, Head Servant Ren was unable to anticipate the burgeoning fight between His Majesty and Master Katara. By the time he was alerted by the staff, half the west wing courtyard was either smoking and smoldering or drenched and muddy, and there was a crowd of spectators— mostly guards, some stable hands, and a few from the kitchen staff— all watching intently as the two clashed.

"You can't _not_ tell her, Zuko!" Master Katara was yelling, throwing spikes of ice at the Fire Lord's head, which he deflected with a wave of his arm.

"She doesn't need to know!" roared His Majesty, flames sparking from his mouth. "What good will it do, anyway?"

"It's better she hears it from you than from somebody else!" argued the Waterbending Master, skating closer to Fire Lord Zuko on a wave. His Majesty cut her off with a blast of fire— Head Servant Ren darted forward, sure that Master Katara would tumble to the ground, but she kicked herself back up immediately, fierce determination sketched across her face. "Zuko, she needs to know what happened to you— what your father did to both you _and_ Azula."

The Fire Lord lowered his arms, breathing harshly. When he spoke, it was barely above a whisper— but every person in the courtyard heard him.

"I don't want to burden her," he told the Waterbending Master. His eyes were shadowed and his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "She'll just pity me even more."

"For La's sake, Zuko! No one's _pitying_ you!" retorted Master Katara, hands on her hips. "When you told me about how you got your scar—"

She huffed and moved forward, her stance softening with each step.

"Zuko, how could anyone pity you when what you did was the strongest, bravest, most honorable thing a child in your position could do?" she asked him softly, placing her hands on his shoulders and peering into his eyes. "I think your mother deserves to know that she raised a man as amazing as you are."

"You— you really think that?" The Fire Lord asked, hopeful, almost childlike— a tone that Head Servant Ren had never heard before. 

The Water Tribe Ambassador blushed and took a step back. 

"Of course I do." She played with the ends of her hair, averting her gaze. The shy expression on her face was so unlike her that Head Servant Ren felt compelled to usher the onlookers away, yet he himself couldn't resist watching. Master Katara muttered, almost sullenly, “Sometimes I feel like you’re ignoring it on purpose.”

“Ignoring what, Katara?” asked the Fire Lord, his voice hoarse. He took a step forward, hand reaching out, but Master Katara stumbled backwards hurriedly, eyes wide and shaking her head.

"It's nothing! Forget I said anything!"

"Yeah, that _really_ makes me not want to hear it," replied Fire Lord Zuko sarcastically, still moving towards her.

The Waterbending Master seemed to become more and more frantic with every step that the Fire Lord took. 

“Um, what I mean to say was— you’ve— you've come a long way, y’know?" she told him in a high-pitched voice, her panicked gesturing putting her brother's to shame. "And— and everyone knows it! Not just me! _All_ of our friends think you're amazing! _All_ of them! That's what I was getting at!"

"Oh."

The Fire Lord stopped in his tracks, and Master Katara took the opportunity to squeak out an almost unintelligible goodbye before speeding away.

Head Servant Ren had seen many strange sights in his life, but he was no stranger to the look of disappointment etched on his crestfallen sovereign's face.

* * *

"Stupid, stupid!" 

The exclamations in the training arena grew as Head Servant Ren and Lady Ursa neared it. The lady had taken Head Servant Ren aside and asked him to accompany her as she got reacquainted with the Palace staff— it was an honor, of course, and a favor that Head Servant Ren was more than happy to oblige.

The Lady Ursa stepped onto the balcony that overlooked the arena and smiled as the Fire Lord punched and kicked flames in the dimly-lit hall, sweat streaming down his corded back.

"He's grown and changed so much that I could barely recognize him," the Lady told Head Servant Ren, "And yet I still see the little boy that I left behind."

"So _stupid!"_ the Fire Lord yelled, blasting the head off a training dummy. 

"Something wrong, Zuko?" called out Lady Ursa, and Fire Lord Zuko whipped around, eyes wild, arms still up in a defensive position— it was a sight that Head Servant Ren was used to, but the look on Lady Ursa's face told him that she still did not know how deeply the war had affected her little boy.

"Mom! I was just, uh, training!" The Fire Lord called back, reaching for a towel and wiping his face. "I'm done now, so I'll just— I'll see you at dinner!"

The Lady Ursa frowned delicately as her son sped out of the chamber, his footsteps echoing in his wake.

“How I wish he would just tell me things,” she confided in a soft voice. “I know it pained him to tell me how he got the scar on his face, but I never knew he had another one on his chest.”

Head Servant Ren knew, of course; he also knew how his sovereign had sustained the injury, but Head Servant Ren would not have retained his position for so long if he spoke of stories that weren’t his to tell.

“What do you know of it, Ren?” asked Lady Ursa pleadingly, and Head Servant Ren sighed.

There were already many firsts in his tenure since Fire Lord Zuko ascended the throne, he reasoned, and he felt it a dishonor to deny a deeply concerned mother the details of how her son sacrificed himself to save his friend.

* * *

The next time the Lady Ursa requested his presence, it was to serve tea for her and Master Katara.

It was yet another strange sight— the Lady and the Ambassador have met on an official capacity, of course, and Master Katara was part of Fire Lord Zuko's retinue when Lady Ursa returned to the palace, but the lady rarely sat down with the Fire Lord's council, especially during Ozai's reign. 

"Come, have a seat, my dear," Lady Ursa greeted even before the Water Tribe Ambassador could sketch a bow. "I hope you don't find me unbelievably rude for inviting you to tea so late."

"Of course not, Lady Ursa; I'm sure you've been really busy since you arrived back here," responded Master Katara with an incline of her head. "How's it been, returning to the palace?"

"It's been lovely, if a bit bittersweet," replied Lady Ursa, gently waving Head Servant Ren away from the table and pouring tea for Master Katara herself. "I am glad Kiyi adores the gardens as much as I do."

"Oh, they're amazing!" exclaimed the Water Tribe Ambassador, clasping her hands delightedly. "We didn't really have a lot of flowers in the South Pole— I really loved it when Zuko took me on a tour of the gardens, he showed me all these colorful flowers and trees, and he really took the time to learn what each plant was called—"

"It seems you and my son are very close," interjected Lady Ursa lightly, smiling over the rim of her teacup. Master Katara blushed and sputtered over her tea, to which Lady Ursa smiled even more. "Oh, my dear, no need to be embarrassed. Zuko holds you in very high regard; he's told me much about you, you know."

"He has?" squeaked Master Katara, clutching her teacup close to her chest. Lady Ursa nodded and regarded the waterbender with a twinkle in her eye.

"All good things, I assure you," she replied. "Your tenacity in battle; your determination to help those in need; your insight during council meetings. I'd say he's quite smitten."

"Oh, no! No, Lady Ursa, you— you misunderstand," stammered the Ambassador, cheeks flushed, knuckles white as she clutched her cup even tighter. "Zuko and I— we're just— we're just friends, that's all!"

"Ah, I see. I'm sorry, my dear, I shouldn't have presumed," the lady said, setting down her tea and steepling her fingers. "I hope I didn't make you feel uncomfortable."

"It's— it's okay, Lady Ursa. It's a common misconception," laughed Master Katara nervously, tucking an errant curl behind her ear and lowering her gaze. "Ever since Aang and I broke up and I started living here as Ambassador after my brother quit, Zuko and I have started hanging out more and— well, people talk. I just worry about how it will affect his reign, especially since half the council still looks at me as a Water Tribe peasant after all these years—"

"Oh, I am well aware of the Fire Nation nobility's rumor mill," sniffed Lady Ursa, her mouth twisting slightly. "It churns constantly and anyone in the public eye is bound to be discussed one way or another, but don't fret, dear: they are but empty words."

"I understand perfectly, Lady Ursa. I'm not personally bothered by the rumors— I've faced worse discrimination from my own sister tribe and won." The master waterbender flashed a grin before sobering with a shrug. "Zuko's assured me a ton of times, too— he says he doesn't care what they're saying about him and that I shouldn't, either, but I can't help but worry for him, you know?"

"He is indeed very lucky to have someone like you by his side," remarked Lady Ursa, before smiling wryly. "It's such a shame you two aren't together; it would be such a comfort to me knowing he isn't working alone as Fire Lord."

"I'm pretty sure he doesn't see me as anything more than a sister, Lady Ursa," spoke Master Katara softly, placing her teacup on the table, eyes downcast. 

The lady's brows furrowed.

"How can you be so sure if you haven't talked about it?" she asked, leaning forward and grasping the waterbender's hand. Master Katara smiled wanly back at her.

"Because I _know_ Zuko, Lady Ursa," she replied quietly. "When he sets his mind on something, he works hard and never gives up. If he… if he _does_ li _—_ I mean, it's not like he's shown any indication that— that—"

"My son has always been a reserved boy, Katara," said Lady Ursa gently. "He hasn't fully opened up to me since I've returned, but because of your intervention, he's told me about his scars and his journey under Iroh's wing. I know I've inadvertently hurt him by leaving and hiding all these years, but we have begun to mend our relationship because of _you,_ and for that, I am truly grateful. Please do not think for one moment that you do not have any effect on my son— he does a great many things _because_ of _you."_

"I… I don't know what to say, Lady Ursa," whispered Master Katara, her voice tight with emotion. Lady Ursa simply smiled gently at her and patted her hand lightly.

"No need to say anything, my dear. Just promise me you'll think about it," said the lady. "Shall I call for some fruit tarts?"

“Oh, no, thank you, Lady Ursa,” the Water Tribe Ambassador stood and bowed at the waist. “If— if you’ll excuse me, I have some, uh. thinking to do.”

“Go ahead, my dear,” replied Lady Ursa, and no sooner as she said it, Master Katara sped out of the room. The lady cleared her throat and turned to Head Servant Ren. “Did I push her too hard, Ren? I just figured that after everything you’ve told me and after seeing how she and Zuko interacted…”

“I do not presume to be so wise as to provide you with counsel, my lady, but Lady Katara is as headstrong as she is compassionate,” Head Servant Ren answered truthfully. “I do not believe she is capable of duplicity, especially with Fire Lord Zuko, and neither is he, despite their constant bickering. If you will allow me to speak freely, my lady…”

“Please do so, Ren. I welcome it.”

“I have seen a great many things, Lady Ursa, but never have I seen two people so vastly different yet inherently alike as Lady Katara and Fire Lord Zuko. They seem to understand the ebbs and flows of each other’s emotions deeply, and yet they hinder themselves from taking the next step out of fear, as most youth tend to do. I have seen how profound their connection is, although I believe they needed a push in the right direction— which you have given them, my lady.”

“Thank you, Ren.” Lady Ursa closed her eyes and sighed. “I do hope they work it out.”

* * *

That night, Head Servant Ren found Fire Lord Zuko and Master Katara sitting underneath the cherry tree by the turtleduck pond, heads close together and murmuring softly.

Head Servant Ren smiled.

He highly doubted that the lord and lady's dynamic would change henceforth, but he was most certain that many more changes were afoot.

It was a strange thought for Head Servant Ren to be so welcoming of change, yet he found himself wishing the two well as their quiet laughter rippled through the empty garden.


End file.
